The halls of Casterly Rock had been restless since Lord Tytos’s passing. Servants rushed to prepare chambers, banners were rehung with renewed pride, and the air was thick with murmurs, Lord Tywin was returning from king's landing, not as heir, but as the new Lord of the Rock and warden of the West.

Joanna stood in the great hall, waiting, the weight of expectation settling over her shoulders. She had held things together in his absence, quieting whispers, ensuring order. Now, at last, he was home and she had made sure it would be celebrated. She had arranged for a feast and had decorated for her husband's return.

The great doors swung open, and there he was tall, grim, his red cloak with gold edges dusted from travel, his eyes scanning the hall with quiet authority. She stepped forward, her voice calm, certain giving him a curtesy.

"Welcome home, my lord. I have longed for your return."